On November 11, we gathered for a deeply meaningful Giving Tuesday Kickoff Event at the Tribeca Film Center, featuring a screening of Magic & Monsters, the powerful new documentary by Emmy Award–winning filmmaker Norah Shapiro.
The film explores the sexual harm inflicted on students at the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre in the 1970s and 80s and asks important and complex questions about institutional responsibility and accountability for past and current sexual harm in school's today.
Following the screening, our Board Chair Jason Craige Harris moderated a compassionate, thoughtful and courageous panel discussion with: Norah Shapiro, Filmmaker; Dr. Worokya Duncan, Associate Director for Professional Learning at the
New York State Association of Independent Schools, and Bridget Londay, Director of Health and Wellness at the Packard School. This was no surface discussion, nor did it prove to be a defense of schools. Bridget and Worokya held the real issues facing schools and parents with honesty and strength.
Together, they explored how institutions can do more. How there is a secondary harm associated with how the leaders of a school show up in the face of allegations. And how schools might create a stronger foundation if they were to address harm differently.
The evening was a powerful reminder of why Hidden Water’s work matters: healing and accountability are collective efforts, and communities become safer when we are willing to face hard truths together.